NSRI Hout Bay assist in helicopter rescue

Photograph from NSRI Bakoven shows the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter in the rescue off Karbonkelberg.

At 14h00 NSRI Hout Bay received a call from two Cape Town, Southern Suburbs, men, both aged 35, reporting to be hiking from Sandy Bay along the Karbonkelberg shoreline hiking trail to Hout Bay and having embarked on the hike at 06h00 fearing that they had grown tired they requested assistance, asking if sea rescue could send a rescue boat to collect them, but stressed that they were not in any life threatening danger, that they had plenty of food and water, and that they were pressing on with the hike despite raising the alarm.

They estimated that they were nearing Duiker Island, near to the end of the hike, in the vicinity of De Brak, and NSRI Hout Bay monitored their progress, not wanting to risk transferring the 2 men onto a rescue boat from the shoreline in the heavy sea swells, but later, at 15h30, they called again for assistance and declared an emergency stating that they were hiking barefoot and that they had run out of water and that they were suffering from exhaustion.

The NSRI Bakoven sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper was on the water at the time conducting a routine exercise and they were diverted to investigate.

On locating the two men on the hiking trail a sea rescue swimmer was deployed onto the shore where it was confirmed that both men were suffering from exhaustion and they appeared unable and unwilling to continue to hike the route barefoot.

The NSRI Bakoven rescue swimmer escorted both men to a more accessible part of the hiking trail in preparation for the helicopter rescue operation.

In a technical rescue operation EMS rescue technicians were hoisted to the casualties from the helicopter and both men were hoisted into the helicopter and airlifted to the NSRI Hout Bay sea rescue base.

Following rehydration therapy and rest arrangements were made for them to be collected from the sea rescue base, they were not injured and they required no further assistance.